Winning back-to-back games for the first time this season, Ohio opened their Mid-American Conference schedule with a 4-3 win over Central Michigan on Friday and a 1-0 edging of Kent State yesterday.
After allowing the Chippewas back into the game, the Bobcats made no such mistakes against the Golden Flashes on the road. Nikki Gnozzio scored on her own rebound during a penalty corner play in the 53rd minute. The Ohio defense then held off Kent State for the remainder of the contest.
It was a total team effort
coach Neil Macmillan said. We had everyone playing at some point during the game. We rotated quite a few people in.
The struggling offense found some reason to be optimistic this weekend. After scoring four goals on Central Michigan, Ohio outshot Kent State 10-8 and attempted more penalty corners than the Golden Flashes.
Goalkeeper Jessie Martin recorded her ninth career shutout.
The Bobcats played on Pruitt Field for the first time in almost four weeks against the Chippewas and defended their home turf on Homecoming weekend.
A pair of goals from Rachelle Coetzee, including a key score late in the game, elevated Ohio to the 4-3 victory.
However, Coetzee had to provide some late-game heroics after the Bobcats squandered a 3-0 lead midway through the second half. Chippewa Samantha Sandham scored a pair of goals in a five-minute span and assisted another to knot the score at three.
Coetzee said the Bobcats were partially responsible for Central Michigan's rally.
I think we just lost our focus during that period of time she said. We thought we had it in the bag.
With less than two minutes left, Ohio took a penalty corner opportunity with Gnozzio starting the play. She hit the ball to Lauren Stahlhuth, who bumped it for a Marcy Dull fake. After Dull's misdirection, Coetzee slammed the ball into the back of the goal.
Although the Chippewas outshot Ohio 15-7, the four goals were the most the Bobcats have scored all season. Coetzee doubled her season goal total to move into the team lead with four scores on the season. She said the offensive explosion on Friday should benefit Ohio for the rest of the season.
It's good to just get that extra confidence Coetzee said. And we'll try to score more the next day.
Sophomore Brittany Zorn notched the first goal of her young career during Friday's contest, scoring off her own rebound early in the second half to put Ohio ahead 3-0.
It's exciting to finally score in front of a lot of people
the former defender said. I was kind of annoyed with how long it took me to take the shot
but after
I was like
'I have to score after missing the first one.'
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